it might just be my location (Pacific Northwest), or the generation gap (I'm still south of 40), but all the shows I take my cars to are just overrun with souped up, monster rods! Now, I can appreciate these just like the next guy...just wish there were more people out there like me who want to 'keep it like it is'. Course, I don't have the option of soupin' it up as I don't have the Big Three ingrediants: TIME, MONEY, KNOWLEDGE to do those type of projects.
So, I'm content to putter in with the '29 (which gets lots of questions - especially "are you gonna hot rod it!") or silently glide into a parking spot in the '48 ("hey, my grandma drove one of those") or ease back in the '52 ("Now, which year did Studebaker have those cars that look like a bullet on the front?").
Luckily, I'm not interested in trophies as I'm usually on the short end of the straw competing against someone's 40K investment - maybe someone could create a category of 'Unmodified, just like your Grandma drove it back in the day' and I could darn well sweep that with my 'fleet'!!

stall

07-05-2010, 06:36 PM

I live in upstate NY and have to honestly say that my Stude is usually appreciated at hot-rod events around here. The most fun though is touring. Our local AACA
chapter runs a couple of weekend get-aways and one week long tour a year. People are just surprised that you can drive out-of-state with a middle aged car. They think its daring when in reality these cars are very simple to keep running. In any event touring is the most fun I have with my cars.

By the way, a 29 Dictator is really special and 52 is my favorite Studebaker year.

Murray

Bob Andrews

07-05-2010, 07:26 PM

Reality is, street rods are currently the "way of the world" in the hobby at large, by far. However, trends change; you never know, originals may come back someday. Really what the hobby is about is doing what you want, the way you want it, at the time you do it- regardless of trends or value.

I've seen plenty of customs that have been reinvented 2 or 3 times, sometimes going back to original. The beauty is, there'sr oom for it all!

sweetolbob

07-05-2010, 07:27 PM

There are several factors at work that limit bringing them back to original.

First-There are fewer and fewer of us that remember them as they were so there is less loyalty toward keeping them original.

Secondly-The cost of restoration is probably considerably more than just dropping in an SBC/tranny , adding an interior from pick-a-part and doing a backyard paint and body job.

Lastly-The upgrades generally add to the comfort and drive-ability of the vehicle so it's more like current vehicles.

I, for one, an glad they showup in any form as it keeps the hobby alive.

In my family, when I go, the hobby will die. My brother and my kids have no interest in this hobby.

As my daughter said a while back when we stood in polebarn and I said: "Someday this will all be your's and your brothers". She said "Estate sale Dad, Estate sale.

They're great kids but have no interest in the hobby.

Bob

bige

07-05-2010, 09:24 PM

There are several factors at work that limit bringing them back to original.

First-There are fewer and fewer of us that remember them as they were so there is less loyalty toward keeping them original.

Secondly-The cost of restoration is probably considerably more than just dropping in an SBC/tranny , adding an interior from pick-a-part and doing a backyard paint and body job.

Lastly-The upgrades generally add to the comfort and drive-ability of the vehicle so it's more like current vehicles.

I, for one, an glad they showup in any form as it keeps the hobby alive.

In my family, when I go, the hobby will die. My brother and my kids have no interest in this hobby.

As my daughter said a while back when we stood in polebarn and I said: "Someday this will all be your's and your brothers". She said "Estate sale Dad, Estate sale.

They're great kids but have no interest in the hobby.

Bob

My younger son is as invested in the hobby as a twenty something making an average living can be he has a '90 LSC that he loves, the older one
loves cars but doesn't like getting dirty.

While having you move on to the "great pole barn in the sky" is not something to look forward to I would bet that upon your demise your hobby will be important to one if not all of your children. If not right away, someday, if not in the same way, someway. Unless, of course, by that time the internal combustion engine is outlawed or BP accidentally blows up another well and drains what crude is left down below into the sea.

ErnieR

COMMANDERPINK1

07-05-2010, 09:30 PM

I feel for you brother, I in the same boat with my 66 but its all good in my world

Tom

Bob Andrews

07-06-2010, 05:13 AM

Same with my son. No interest at all, but that's OK, we're all individuals with different likes and dislikes. I always have told my family that when I croak: If there's something you truly like for what it is, keep it. The rest, eBay. They have the info of a few trusted Stude friends that would help them market the stuff correctly; same with my other brands. I have some things earmarked for friends, but you'll have to wait for me to die to find out who gets what:) Above all, I tell them not to hold onto something they don't like just because I did! In the end it's just stuff after all. I am a victim of 'sentimental saving' myself, and do NOT want to pass that on:(

Of course Ernie is right on about kids' interests coming around. I've seen it happen a few times, even before the parent passed on. Meantime, restore or mod, To my taste or not, I just love seein' 'em:)

Nelsen Motorsports

07-06-2010, 06:18 AM

Luckily, I'm not interested in trophies as I'm usually on the short end of the straw competing against someone's 40K investment - maybe someone could create a category of 'Unmodified, just like your Grandma drove it back in the day' and I could darn well sweep that with my 'fleet'!!

In some car shows there is a category called survivor, which is usually matching numbers, original paint, and interior.

r1lark

07-06-2010, 06:49 AM

it might just be my location (Pacific Northwest), or the generation gap (I'm still south of 40), but all the shows I take my cars to are just overrun with souped up, monster rods! Now, I can appreciate these just like the next guy...just wish there were more people out there like me who want to 'keep it like it is'. Course, I don't have the option of soupin' it up as I don't have the Big Three ingrediants: TIME, MONEY, KNOWLEDGE to do those type of projects.
So, I'm content to putter in with the '29 (which gets lots of questions - especially "are you gonna hot rod it!") or silently glide into a parking spot in the '48 ("hey, my grandma drove one of those") or ease back in the '52 ("Now, which year did Studebaker have those cars that look like a bullet on the front?").
Luckily, I'm not interested in trophies as I'm usually on the short end of the straw competing against someone's 40K investment - maybe someone could create a category of 'Unmodified, just like your Grandma drove it back in the day' and I could darn well sweep that with my 'fleet'!!

Around here (central NC) the Cruise-Ins and various 'shows' have a good mix of original, restored, traditional hot rod (sometimes called rat rods), street rod, musclecars, etc. Orphan makes seem to be well received.

As an example, this past weekend in Winston-Salem, the 2010 Heavy Rebel Weekender meet was held (http://www.heavyrebel.net/history.html) This is a 3 day music/rat rod/tattoo/etc event, and is in it's 10th year. The car show was on Saturday and while it is mainly traditional hot rod-orientated, there are still a lot of older restored and driver type cars. ('Billet' street rods, late model musclecars, etc NOT allowed<G>.)

So what was the overall 'best of show' for this traditional hot rod-oriented group? My buddy Mike Fleming's 1954 Kaiser Manhatten -- a nice stock restoration. I'll try to find some pics and post them tonight.

comatus

07-06-2010, 07:35 PM

Don't know about the restayaz, but I get nervous when old Bams is in a diplomatic mood...

The Hobby has died many times, starting at the end of the brass era, and always comes back. What spooks me is that so few future classics have ben made in the last ___ years, helping to reinforce the auto-as-home-appliance attitude among the young. The part about no one in the family carrying on the tradition, though, really weighs heavy for most of us. Maybe it's more remarkable that car interest ever was a common factor between the generations. I do know one young fellow who's planning to be a 4th-generation locomotive engineer, but he's not really as into steam as his great-grandfather was, the whippersnapper.

Bob Andrews

07-06-2010, 08:23 PM

Don't know about the restayaz, but I get nervous when old Bams is in a diplomatic mood...

Never fear. If I occasionally appear diplomatic, it's just a ruse. Lulls you into a false sense of security.

That's just between us though. I don't want anybody to know. Element of surprise and all that. Besides, I changed my forum name; I'm turning over a new leafhttp://serve.mysmiley.net/winking/winking0071.gif